Win - Win: Cars to run on household rubbish

[AMERICA 123]

Now here is yet another great way to get goin' - and solve multiple problems simultaneously .

From The New Zealand Herald :

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/s...ectid=10523758

Cars to run on household rubbish

5:00AM Monday July 28, 2008

By Angela Gregory


Some cars could be running on fuel from household waste in America and Europe within two years, and the technology could later become available around the world.

(Each tonne of dry waste could be converted into about 400 litres of ethanol.)

If so, waste including food scraps - rather than food sources - could provide an acceptable alternative to crop-based sources for biofuels.

Ineos, the world's third-largest chemical company, has announced it is aiming to produce commercial quantities of bioethanol fuel from biodegradable municipal waste within two years.

The production network of the global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products spans 71 manufacturing facilities in 14 countries throughout the world.

Ineos Bio chief executive Peter Williams said new technology was developed in Arkansas and would produce bioethanol in huge quantities from municipal solid waste, green waste, animal waste and agricultural residues. -

[T-Type]

Meh, it's already been done (er will be done).

[johnstarnes]

That is great news....thanks! No fuel from food crops is my preference.

[camaro_freak]

Originally Posted by T-Type

Meh, it's already been done (er will be done).

nice play on words.... Mr Fusion rocks!

[steinravnik]

Originally Posted by T-Type

Meh, it's already been done (er will be done).

That's exactly what I was thinking. Now if we could only get our cars to fly...

[Buick City]

Originally Posted by steinravnik

That's exactly what I was thinking. Now if we could only get our cars to fly...

well we will be able to take our cars to get hover-converted for "Only $29,995!" in 2015. Just head on down to Goldie Wilson the 3rd's shop.

[AndrewGS]

Originally Posted by T-Type

Meh, it's already been done (er will be done).

Mr. Fusion will only power the time circuits. We'll still need ordinary gasoline.

[logansowner]

While this is good, at the same time I feel the need to point out that there is still a food related flaw in this situation.

First I will ask though, do most places have separate bins that your compost goes in that the garbage trucks pick up? We have a system here where every home was given a green wheeled bin that compost goes in. Every garbage pickup, they have a separate compartment on the trucks for this waste. It is then taken to a factory that turns it into that clean brown compost we buy in bags... is this the case everywhere else?

Anyway, on with my complaint. This compost that is turned to fuel and burnt, is less compost being bagged and sold...lower supply, equals higher prices. Higher prices for farms equals higher prices for your food... They find a way to screw you no matter what.

The only way this is a good idea is if it is in an area where there is no recycling program. If you throw your cans out with your cardboard and food scraps in the same garbage bag... then I can see a point. But if you have a well run program as in here, it's counter productive.

[AndrewGS]

Originally Posted by logansowner

While this is good, at the same time I feel the need to point out that there is still a food related flaw in this situation.

First I will ask though, do most places have separate bins that your compost goes in that the garbage trucks pick up? We have a system here where every home was given a green wheeled bin that compost goes in. Every garbage pickup, they have a separate compartment on the trucks for this waste. It is then taken to a factory that turns it into that clean brown compost we buy in bags... is this the case everywhere else?

Anyway, on with my complaint. This compost that is turned to fuel and burnt, is less compost being bagged and sold...lower supply, equals higher prices. Higher prices for farms equals higher prices for your food... They find a way to screw you no matter what.

The only way this is a good idea is if it is in an area where there is no recycling program. If you throw your cans out with your cardboard and food scraps in the same garbage bag... then I can see a point. But if you have a well run program as in here, it's counter productive.

Here, trash is trash and it all goes into a landfill. Recycling through the waste company is very limited in this area and there are few places to drop off materials like plastic and glass making it hard to recycle anything but paper. We have no compost program and I'm sure most of North America is the same, leaving this as a very good solution.

There's no single answer to renewable energy independence, we have to use different strategies.

[nikivee]

Originally Posted by johnstarnes

That is great news....thanks! No fuel from food crops is my preference.

FYI: 78% of of our corn crops goes to animal feed. Around 20% is used for human consumption. What we export to rich countries goes to feed livestock. Some countries that would need our corn won't even allow it becuase it's genetically altered. So in short this argument that corn should not be made into fuel because we can't feed people is pure political BS.

[logansowner]

Originally Posted by nikivee

FYI: 78% of of our corn crops goes to animal feed. Around 20% is used for human consumption. What we export to rich countries goes to feed livestock. Some countries that would need our corn won't even allow it becuase it's genetically altered. So in short this argument that corn should not be made into fuel because we can't feed people is pure political BS.

Mostly true, but whether you eat corn or you feed it to the cows, unless you don't plan on having a hamburger again, it is still sort of in the food supply.

The whole thing was a made up problem, we never used enough corn to cause any harm...but it's a moot point because corn just isn't good enough for making ethanol. There are better options so it's pretty much irrelevant anyway.

[FearTheDodo]

Originally Posted by T-Type

Meh, it's already been done (er will be done).

beat me to it!

[PRO_USA1776]

FYI: 78% of of our corn crops goes to animal feed. Around 20% is used for human consumption. What we export to rich countries goes to feed livestock. Some countries that would need our corn won't even allow it becuase it's genetically altered. So in short this argument that corn should not be made into fuel because we can't feed people is pure political BS.

I could not have said it better myself! Those against ethanol are just trying to control me...and they can take a long walk off a short pier.

[Ed Arcuri]

No matter what we do, there will always be costs and consequences. In the economic sense that is a good thing. Costs and consequences allow us to allocate scarcity by placing comparative values on things. Those with the highest benefit to cost ratio are winners, the rest losers. This is democracy in action; we get to vote with our dollars and by our choices in the marketplace.
It's not a conspiracy. It's economics.
While reading I couldn't help but recall the M*A*S*H* episode in which Major Burns held the grabage auction!
Seriously, who knew Frank Burns had such foresight?
Cheers,
Ed Arcuri

[mikesright]

GM Cosatka already has the technology to do this, and have announced so. Soon landfills will be a thing of the past, plus old landfills will be a goldmine.